Folding and collecting mechanism



Aug. 21, 1934. c. S. CRAFTS FOLDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qt NW Y ATTO EY c. s. CRAFTS FOLDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Aug. 21, 1934.

Filed May 6. 1930 Aug. 21, 1934. c. s. CRAFTS FOLDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IHIIHHH H Aug. 21, 1934. s AFTS 1,970,931

. FOLDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 21, 1934- ,c. s. CRAFTS 1,970,931

FdLDING AND COLLECTING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l & B Q v ATTORN Patented Aug. 21, 1934 FOLDING AND ooLLEcrrmGiivrscHANIsM Curtis S. Crafts, Oak Park,'l'.ll.', jassign'or to Goss' Printing Press Company, a corporation of ;IlI

incis' v Application May 6, l

930, s rial; No. 450,132

, 14 Claims. (ciQzvo -si The invention relates to a novelfolding and collecting mechanism, and in certain' of its aspects, more especially to rotaryfolding and collecting mechanism for imparting the transverse fold to newpapers preparatory to delivery,

and for optionally collecting sheets or groups of sheets cut from a printed web prior to folding. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in partwill be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, construction, arrangements, combinations and im-, provements herein shown and described. The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain-the principles of the invention. Of the drawings: I"

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of the:

1 folding and collecting mechanism "of a"rotary printing press illustrating the present preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed vertical section, showing principally the transverse foldingcylinder, and the cutting and collecting cylinderj Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan of the folding, cutting and collecting cylinders shown in'Figfi ure 2; I v ,Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailin elevation of the pin or gripper actuating arm and cam forming part of the folding cylinder...

' Figures 5 to arediagrammatic views, show-' ing the various phases of operation of the folding, cutting and collecting mechanism; and

1 Figure 11 is a diagram showing the symbols used to identify the webs, and parts ofwebs, as

they are led from the formers tothe transversefolding and collecting mechanism.

transverse folding mechanism of a rotaryprint ing press, for collecting successive sheets they are cut, or otherwise severed, from the webor webs which may have been longitudinally folded. The invention also provides a transverse folding mechanism for use in connection with the col-- lecting mechanism, and by which the associated or collected sheets are given a transverse'or final fold preparatory to being delivered as completed newspapers. The 1 folding .mechanism.v may be;

used independently of the collecting mechanism or the collecting"mechanism'may be optionally rendered operative for the production of larger products, a

Theinventionhas for a further objectthe provision of a folding and collecting mechanism in which the collecting and cutting cylinder is of larger size and'can be'made stiiier, and at the same time can be more accurately balanced than has-heretofore been the case. Also by reason of the "largerdiameter of the cutting and collecting cylinder; its speed of rotation can be considerably less, with the'consequent lessening of vibration and the' tendency of the sheets to be combed off theumpaling pins or other means which hold them on the surface of the cylinder. Further more, this same feature also enablesthe'folding and collecting mechanism to be run at a higher speedywith 'a consequently greater productivity, than "has heretofore been the case.

he invention also provides a folding, cutting and collecting mechanism in which the longitudinally foldedf sheets, web or webs are bent to a lessextentthan has heretofore been the case and consequently the products are of a more uni-1 formflength; and the tendency of the cutting mechanismto cut ribbons is greatly reduced and substantially eliminated, enabling the larger products to 'be more'satisfactorily produced.

the operation of folding and collecting mechanismaccording to the present invention, there'is; no idle or unnecessary movement of the grippersor pins which engage the head of the sheets or Webs to hold them on the cylinders. The inventionalso' has for its object the provision of a collecting 'mechanism which can be easily and quickly rendered operative or inoperative, dependent on the typeof product to be produced which varies widely and is principally determined b y the number of pages contained in each of the products; The present invention also permits the provision of larger laps in running cross association runsyas is often desirable, and the longer The invention is directed primarily to a co1le'ct-- ing -mechanism for use in connection with the associating the two longitudinally folded webs before the webs reach the folding and collecting mechanisms, and these means preferably permit the two webs to be led to either of the folding and collecting mechanisms, by which they are cross-associated, cut into sheets, collected and then given the final or transverse fold immediately prior to their delivery from the press.

As embodied, each transverse folding and collecting mechanism comprises a two-way folding cylinder cooperating with a three-way collecting and cutting cylinder, the folding cylinder being provided with two pairs of foldingblades for folding off the group of sheets from the folding cylinder, thereby giving the product its final or transverse fold. The cutting and collecting mechanism, cooperating with the folding cylinder, comprises a plurality of sets ofimpaling pins, optionally operable to take the lead end of the longitudinally folded web or associated websand carry it around the collecting and cutting cylinder and then transfer it, after cutting, to the impalingpins on the folding cylinder. The impaling pins on the cutting and collector cylinder of the present embodiment are provided with means for actuating the pins to take the lead end of the web once every second revolution of the cutting and collecting. cylinder and to release the collected sheets from the cutting and collecting cylinder and transfer them to the folding cylinder onthe alternate revolutions, and thesebylinders are also provided with means for silencing the impaling pins on the collecting and cutting cylinder thereby enabling the sheets to be folded without collecting the lead end of the web being taken by the folding cylinder every revolution. For actuating each set of the impaling pins on the cutting and collecting cylinder once every second revolution, so that alternate sheet lengths of the web are taken by the cutting and collecting cylinder, and for causing; the transfer of the cut sheets from the cutting and collecting cylinder to the foldingicylinder where they are col lected with another group of sheets from the web, the present embodiment provides a cam for actuating the pins on the collecting cylinder, which is provided with optionally operable means for rotating the cam at a different speed from that of the collecting and cutting cylinder when it is desired to collect; Other cam means are also provided for actuating the impaling pins 'on the folding cylinder and at least" one set of pins on the foldingcylinder is provided with means permitting its pins to be silenced, so that only one 7 set of pins is actuated,'and this set is actuated everytime the impaling pins on the collecting and cutting cylinder transfer a group of sheets to the folding cylinder, that is, once each revolution of the folding cylinder.

V In order to accommodate, the extremely large variation in the size of products folded by the folding mechanism, means are also 1 preferably. provided for varying the. distance between the folding rollers :and between the folding rollers and the folding cylinder, and as embodied, one of the folding rollers is mounted in-agrotatable eccentric journal at either end, for this purpose- It will be understood that the foregoing-gene eral .descriptionand the following detailed de scription as well, are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but-are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying.

drawings, showing the present preferred em :1 bodiment of the folding and collectingxmechanism in accordance with the present invention, there are provided a pair of longitudinal formers 10 over which the four page wide perfected, and slit web or associated webs are pulled, by the nipping rollers 11 and 12 to longitudinally fold the webs to form the two longitudinally folded single page width webs 14. These longitudinally folded Webs 14 are then led to the respective folding and collecting mechanism located substantially directly beneath the formers; or for cross-associate runs, the webs from one of the formers may be associated with the other web 14, and for this purpose guide rollers 15 and :16 are provided for guiding the longitudinallyfolded web from the left-hand former across the press to the cross folder beneath the right hand former. Guide roller 17 is also provided to permit the right-hand web 14 to enter the crossfolding mechanism at the proper angle. Guide rollers 16 and 18 allow the right-hand web 14 to be cross-associated with the left-hand web.

In the present embodiment there are provided two folding, cutting and collecting mechanisms, each of which consists of a folding cylinder 20 and a cooperating cutting and collecting cylinder 21, the cylinders being located substantially directly beneath the corresponding formers 10, and each of these cylinders is rotatably mounted in'the press frame 22 by means of journals 23 at either end of the cylinders, the cylinders 20 and 21 being parallel with each other and closely adjacent. Inasmuch as the two cutting, folding and collecting mechanisms are substantially duplicates of each other, only one of these mechanisms will be described in detail.

The folding cylinders 20 are generally similar in construction to the conventional type of cross-. folding cylinder, and are provided with a pair of diametrically opposed folding blades 24 rotat ably mounted near the periphery of the folding cylinders by shafts 25 rotatably' journaled in suitable bearings at the ends of the folding cylinders and rigidly connected with the heads 26 at one end of each shaft, Shafts 25 each are provided with two folding blades and the head 26 carries at each of its ends a roller 27 adapted to coact with a suitable folding blade mechanism.

, For holding the sheets on the folding cylinder, the folding cylinders are also provided with sets of impaling pins 28 adapted to receive and temporarily hold the sheet or web by the leading end, and these impaling pins 28 are mounted on arms 29 which are carried on shafts 31 rotatably mounted in the ends of the cylinder; Impaling pins 28 are adapted to be projected through suitable apertures in the folding 'cylinder adjacent to the cutting blocks 30, and for retracting and projecting the pins to engage or release the web or sheets on the cylinder, there is provided an arm 32 at the end of each shaft 3 1. Arms 32 carry cam rollers 33 which project from the ends of the cylinder and run in a cam groove 34 formed in the pin cam 35 which is. rigidly mounted externally of thecylinder and preferably on the folding cylinder shaft 36. For holding the cam stationary, at the same time permitting it, to be moved through a relatively shortarc, totime the folding operation, cam 35 is provided with an arcuate the arm 39 extending from the cam, and fixed thereto, and arm '39 is held in the desired position by a holding screw 37 which firmly clamps itto the press frame.

slot 38 formed inoperates to release the vancing, the pin cam relatively cylinder three pages in circumference provided with three cutting knives 40 equally spaced-apart andseated in the grooves 41 in the periphery'of the cylinder, only the edge, of the blade projecte ing beyond the surface of the cylinder. ,These knives i0 are adapted to register with the female cutting members orblocks 30, carried by the folding cylinder 20, to cut the web into. sheet lengths as the web is pressed against the knife by the cutting blocks 30.

For impaling the leading end of the web or webs 14 and carrying the sheets cut therefrom around the cutting and collecting cylinders 21, there are provided three sets of impaling pins 42 adapted to be projected beyond the surface of the collecting cylinder to take the leadingend of the web and to hold the sheets on the cutting and collecting cylinder, and these pins are located closely adjacent to the cutting knives 40. For operating the pins, they are connected with the pin arms 43 mounted on shafts 44 journaled in, the collecting cylinder, and shafts 44 at one end are provided with arms 45, at the free end of, which are rotatably mounted cam rollers 46 travelling in the pin cam groove 47 of pin cam 48, provided with an outwardly, directed portion 49 -adapted to projectthe pins through the surface of the cutting and collecting cylinder and. into the leading end of the web, and an inwardly directedportion 50 adapted to retract'the pins to transfer the sheets to the folding cylinder 20, where the sheets are impaled by the pins 28.

In the operation of the cutting and collecting cylinder 21 it is essential that each set of pins sheets carried by the cylinder, once every second revolution of the cylinderand to operate on the alternate revolution to'takethe leading end of the web or webs and carry the sheets cut therefrom around the cylinder during a single revolution, and for this purpose means are provided according to the present, invention, for rotating the collecting cylinder pin cam 48 relatively to the collecting cylinder and for rotating the pin cam 48 at a higher speed than the speed of rotation of collecting cylinder 21. I

,In the present embodiment, and with a collecting cylinder three page lengths in circumference, the pincam 48 is rotated three revolutions .during every two revolutions of the collecting cylinder, to advance the pin cam relatively to the collecting cylinder, thereby timing theoperation of the impaling pins and avoiding any'unnecessary movement thereof. For so adto the collecting cylinder, there is provided a gear slidably keyed to a sleeve extending from pin cam 48' and meshing with a gear 61 of equal diameter mounted on the'folding cylinder shaft'36 and rotatable with the folding cylinder. Cutting and collecting cylinder 21 is driven at the same peripheral speed as folding cylinder 20 by means of gear 63 mounted on the cutting and collecting cyl'-' inder shaft 64 and fast thereto, and meshing with gear 65 secured to the folding roller shaft 36, while the pin cam 48 is driven at the sameahgular speed as the folding cylinder 20.

While running the folding, cutting and collecting mechanism for collecting sheets on the collecting cylinder and transferring them to the folding-cylinder, one of the two sets of impaling pins on the folding cylinder is silenced so that the impaling pins of the folding cylinder are operated to take the leading end of the sheets or web onlywhen the leading end of the web is not impaled by the pins on-thecollecting cylinder, and for this purpose meansare provided for silencing oneof the sets of impalingpins 28 on the folding cylinder, orfor retractingthe pin so far within the surface of the. cylinder that it will not, be projectedtherefrom. -As embodied, one-of the .pin actuating arms 32 of the folding cylinder is loosely mounted on its; shaft 31, and is connected therewith by meansof a slotted arm, 'wpinned on the shaft 31. A screw '71 is threaded in the arm32, passes through slot 62 and can be tightened to clamp arms 32 and '70 together with the pin in operative or inoperative posi-.. tion. With the arms, 32 in retracted, position, their movement is insufficient to project the pins beyond the surface of the. cylinder. and: one.- set of pins is thereby rendered inoperative.

Means are preferably, although not necessarily, provided for varying the spacing of, the folding rollersto compensate for the wide variation in the thicknessof theproduct, and as embodied, one of each pair of. folding rollers, '14 is adjustably mounted so, that it maybe variably positioned relative to its mate, As shown, there are pro vided eccentric bushings '75 for the shaft of one of each pair of folding rollers, although other suitable means may be employed. r Other means are preferably provided for. insuringthe retention of the sheets-on the folding and collecting cylinders, and for this purpose, the

shoes '76 may be provided,,spaced a slight distance from the cylinders and'preferably concentric therewith. i In order to permit themechanism to be operated without collecting, means are provided for silencing the pin mechanism on the collecting cylinder, and under, theseconditions, the collecting and cutting cylinder 21 serves onlyas a cut-i ting cylinden As embodied, gear 60 is providedwith means-for holding the gear out of mesh with gear 61, and as shown, set screw 66 holds-the gear 60 in either of its two positions. Duringwnoncollect runs, gear 60 is held out of mesh with gear 61, as shown in dotted lines .(Fig. 3), and pin cam 48 is secured toitssupporting shaft .64 by'means of set screw 67 thereby insuring rota tion of the pin cam with cylinder 21 and preventing inadvertent operation-v of the impaling pins. During such runs, thepin cam is secured withall the pins retracted.

Figures 5 to 10 illustrate the operationof the preferredembodiment of the invention. and in these figures, the sheets are indicated by lines,

dotted as shown in Fig. 11.. The first section comprises sheets 1 00, and 101 while the second section is indicated by. 102, and 103. These sheets are'repeated in the same sequence throughout the len th of the web.

Inthe'se'figures, the three sets of pins on cylin der 21 have been designated A, B and C while'the pins on the folding cylinder are designated D and E. Dui'ing'the collect runs, pins Dare silencedj Cylinders 20 and 21 rotate at the same peripheral speed, while the pin cam for cylinder 21 rotates at the same angular speed as cylinder 20, thereby making 3" revolutions everytwo revolutions of cylinder 21. In this manner, each set of pins A, B or C is actuated only every second time it'is' presented to folding cylinder 20. 1 1

In Figure 5, the sheets 102} 103 are on the cylinder 21 and pins A have been retracted simultaneously with the projection of pins E; thereby transferring the sheets to foldin'gcylinder 20, pins E=also taking the leading eiid'sof the sheets 100,

101: which'will be cut from the associatedwebs; 1

A product 106, comprisingone each of the sheets 100, 101, 102 and 103 has just been delivered, having been folded off cylinder 20 by the folding blade between rollers-74. I I

'In Figure 6 of the drawings,the cylinder-20 has been rotated one half of'revolution and cylinder 21 has been rotated one third of a revolution from their position asshownin Figure 5, and the sheet lengths 102 and 103 of the associated webs arebeing impaled by the pins B. (Dnfurther ro' the operations shown in Figure 6 are repeated,

the pins A, performing the same operations as were performed by pins B in Figure 6. As the leading ends of sheet-lengths 102 and-103 are impaled by the pins on the collecting and cutting cylinder 21,the silent pins D are adjacent to the cylinder 21, and pins E are withdrawn to release the sheets on foldingcylinder20, the

folding blade 24 operating to fold off 'a product 106 between the folding rollers 74. Figures 9 and 10 show operations of thefolding mechanism corresponding to Figures '7 and 8, respectively, different pins on the collecting and cutting cylini der 21 being presented to the leading end of the webs. V

Figures to represent one complete cycle in the operaticnof-the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, and in each complete cycle folding cylinder makes three complete revolutions while cutting and collecting cylinder 21 makes two complete revolutions. One of the sets of impaling pins on the folding cylinder 20 is silenced and the-corresponding foldingblade following the silenced set of pins may be silenced, if

desired, inasmuch as no sheets are carried by the corresponding portion of this folding cylinder. The impaling pins o'nthebutting and collecting U cylinder 21 are eachoperat'edonce every second; time they are presented to theleading end of the web, and only alternate'sets of impaling pins presented to the leading ends of'the'web are so operated, the silent set of pins on the foldingcylinder 20 being presented to the leading end ofthe vention and webs at the same time the active set of pinson' cutting and collecting cylinder 21 are presented to the webs. In this way, each group of sheets 102- and 103 is collected and associated with'the second following group ofsheets :100 and101, and a Con pleted product 106 is produced onceevery com plete revolution of the folding cylinder 20 oronce every two-thirds of a revolution of the cutting and collecting cylinder 2 V V The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to theIspecific mechanisms shown and described but departures maybe made therefromv within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the inwithout sacrificing its chief advantages.

1. A folding mechanism for use withh-igh-speed rotary .printing presses including in combination 5? a folding cylinder having holding means to take the head of a sheet'or web, a collecting cylinder having an odd number of holding means'greater than one, and means for actuating each of said holding means on said eachrevolution or less than once each revolution. 2. A folding mechanism for use with high-speed rotary printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder having holding means to take the head of a sheet-or web, a collecting cylinder having an odd number of holding means greater than one, and means for actuating each of said sheet holding means on the collecting cylinder once each tion.

- 3, A folding mechanism for use with high-speed rotary printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder having sheet holding means to take the head of a sheet or web, a collecting cyl-' ence, three sets of sheet holding means on said cylinder to take the head of a sheet or web, cam means for actuating each of said sheet holding means once each rotation of the cylinder with respect to the cam, and means for progressively moving the cam to change the time of operation of the sheet holding means.

5. A folding mechanism for use with high-speed rotary printing a collecting cylinder, a plurality of holding means on the collecting cylinder, an actuating cam for said holding means mounted coaXially' with the cylinder to actuate the holding means once each rotation of the cylinder with respect to the cam and means for rotating the cam at a rate differentfrom that of the rotation of the cylinder.

6. A folding mechanism for use wih high-speed rotary printing presses including in combination a collecting cylinder,'three sets of holding means,

; 7". A folding mechanism for use with high-speed I rotary printing presses including in combination.

a folding cylinder two pages in circumference, two sheet holding means on said folding cylinder,

three sheet holding means on said collecting cylinder, actuating cams for actuating the holding means onthe folding and collecting cylinders once each revolution of each holding means withrespect .to its actuating cam and means for optionally silencing one of the holding means on the folding cylinder and for moving the cam for the holding means on the cylinder to operate each gripper on the w collecting cylinder, once each second revolution,

.8. A folding mechanism for use withhighspeed rotary printing presses including incombination a folding cylinder, a co c g cylinder of larger diameter than the folding cylinder, sheet holding means on said cylinders, cams for operatingsaidsheet holding means-and means for driving the collecting cylinder once revolution or on every second revolu-= presses including in combinationv actuating collecting cam for the collecting sheet holding means at the same angular speed as the folding cylinder.

9. A folding mechanism for use with highspeed rotary printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder, two pages in circumference, a collecting cylinder three pages in circumference, sheet holding means on said cylinders, cams for operating said sheet holding means once each revolution of the cylinder on which the sheet holding means are mounted and optionally operable means for rotating the cam for the collecting sheet holding means at the same angular speed as the folding cylinder to cause each collecting sheet holding means to be operated only every second revolution of the collecting cylinder.

10. A collecting and folding mechanism for use in connection with printing presses including in combination a two-way folding cylinder, a threeway collecting cylinder, a pair of folding blades on the folding cylinder, means for holding the sheets or web on the folding cylinder, additional optionally operable means for holding the sheet or web on the folding cylinder, three sheet or web holding means on the collecting cylinder to collect sheets on the collecting cylinder, means for rendering each of said holding means on the collecting cylinder operable on alternate revolutions to take the web and on the intermediate revolutions to transfer a sheet to the folding cylinder and means for cutting the web into sheets.

11. A collecting and folding mechanism for use in connection with printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder two pages in circumference, a collecting cylinder three pages in circumference alternately operated means on the folding cylinder and collecting cylinder for taking the web, and for transferring sheets from the collecting cylinder to the folding cylinder.

- 12. In a folding mechanism, a cam-actuated impaling pin comprising a shaft, an impaling pin, an arm connecting the impaling pin to the shaft, a pair of arms projecting fromv one end of the shaft, one of said arms being secured to the shaft, a cam roller carried by the other of said arms and means for optionally securing said last two arms to each other.

13. A folding mechanism for use with highspeed rotary printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder having sheet piercing means to take the head of a sheet or web, a collecting cylinder having an odd number of piercing means greater than'one androtatably positioned contiguous to the folding cylinder to rotate in a direction opposite to the folding cylinder and means for actuating each of said piercing means on said collecting cylinder less than once each revolution thereof.

14. A folding mechanism for use with highspeed rotary printing presses including in combination a folding cylinder having sheet piercing 100 means to take the head of a sheet or web, collecting cylinder having an odd number of piercing means greater than one and rotatably positioned contiguous to the folding cylinder to rotate in a direction opposite to the folding cyl- 5 inder, means for actuating the sheet piercing means on said folding means once each revolution and means for actuating each of said piercing means on said collecting cylinder once every second revolution thereof.

CURTIS S. CRAFTS. 

